SCHP Report: Dillon officer not at fault for fatal head-on crash

DILLON COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - The South Carolina Highway Patrol's Multi-Disciplinary Investigation Team determined that the Dillon police officer involved in a fatal wreck Sunday morning did not contribute to the collision.

The Dillon County Coroner said the accident killed 29-year-old Bobbi Lynn Britt out of Pembroke North Carolina.

Sergeant Bob Beres says Officer Jacob Richardson was traveling north on Highway 9 at Harley Ridge Road, just south of Little Rock, when he collided with the Mitsubishi traveling south on Highway 9.

"I saw an automobile sitting almost in our yard and a little small fire under the bottom of it," Dr. Richard Alderman said.

Dr. Richard Alderman said that's he saw around 2:21 a.m. Sunday at the edge of his property along Highway 9.

"It turned out to be the policeman's car. I watched that fire for a few minutes and it got a little bigger and it completely engulfed the automobile from one end to the other," Alderman said.

Just before the crash took place, the Dillon County Coroner said, Dillon City Policemen Jacob Richardson got a backup call from a county deputy who needed help defusing a fight at a night club.

Investigators with the South Carolina Highway Patrol said Richardson's patrol car collided with a car being driven by a 22-year-old woman.

In a report released later by MAIT investigators, it was determined the officer did not contribute to the collision. The main contributing factor was the driver of the vehicle failing to yield to the right of way when turning left, causing a head-on collision.

"It was blazing just about twice as high as the car, lighting up the whole intersection. And people begun to gather and cars stopped and people were crying and hollering a lot of turmoil…it was very surreal," said Alderman.

While Officer Richardson was alone in his patrol car, the other vehicle involved in the crash had five people inside.

Four of those people, along with Officer Richardson, were taken to a hospital for treatment.

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